HYPERBOREA / Paladin

**Posted by Vetus Miles** 12/26/2024 5:18 pm

I’m fixing to play a paladin. One of the party members is a neutral necromancer. Is there an issue with a paladin working with someone who practices the necromantic arts?

I don’t feel that there is since the character in question isn’t necessarily evil but does practice a questionable form of magic.

Thought and opines?

**Posted by Carnby** 12/26/2024 6:27 pm

I would say it depends on the paladin, but a quick read of the paladin description doesn't specifically call out necromancy as something they oppose, though consorting with daemons is so I assume that as long as the neutral necromancer isn't using the summon daemon spells the paladin could put aside any qualms for the mission.

**Posted by rhialto** **Online!** 12/26/2024 6:50 pm

Agree with Carnby: as long as the necromancer avoids any inherently Evil sorcery, and hews to the Neutral alignment, there shouldn't be automatic strife between the two. Interesting tension and mistrust, sure; it would only cross into distrust if the necromancer stepped over the Neutral line into Evil.

**Posted by Caveman** 12/27/2024 3:42 am

I can base it on Diablo II; in theory the Necromancer and Paladin in that game are working together to destroy the evil?

**Posted by gizmomathboy** 12/27/2024 11:41 am

It totally depends upon how you want to play the paladin.

I had an Amazonian paladin that was probably in a dubious crew of folks.

She definitely would mess people up but wouldn't let the group kill captured folks and such.

Of course, she also jumped into battle at the drop of a hat. I mean, what would a disciple of Artemis do otherwise :-)

She also did a forced march to drag some party members back to get some healing and such for them while she was dealing with some disease or other. I think she Cured Disease a rat bite on a party member, did the march while dealing with a rat bit of her own, and then heal herself at the end. I think.

It was many years ago, but I played her as loyal, fierce, and not taking any guff from anyone. lawful courageous vs lawful stupid :-)

**Posted by Blackadder23** 12/27/2024 2:18 pm

My feeling is that paladins are in a worse position in Hyperborea than in a typical D&D campaign world, so they can't afford to be as picky. For example, Gary once stated that Lawful Neutral was the most common human alignment in default D&D. This would surely be the Chaotic alignments in Hyperborea, because of the outsized influence of Xathoqqua. Hyperborean paladins probably can't turn up their nose at help, even from necromancers.

And, to be honest, I didn't always enforce strict alignment restrictions on paladins, even in default D&D.

**Posted by BlackKnight** 12/29/2024 10:42 pm

Lawful Good,!= Lawful Stupid is the rule I always follow. I think it's up to the Palidin player, and how the Necromancer acts and casts his spells...

**Posted by Vetus Miles** 12/30/2024 5:12 pm

Great feed back, thanks guys!

I like Paladins and never bought into the “lawful stupid” theory.

I see no reason why they can’t be as flawed as anyone else. Uphold what is good, defend the weak, be the hero but find himself in taverns drinking with his buddies, getting into fist fights, wandering into houses of ill repute and maybe tossing a coin to a shrine of Rel for good luck and fortune on the next adventure?

You can be a (semi) virtuous knight and rock out with your glock out , yeah?

Last edited by Vetus Miles (12/30/2024 5:15 pm)